Drive mechanism for endless chain ditch diggers



Oct. 26, 1954 E. M. SMITH 2,692,446

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN DITCH DIGGEIRS Filed May 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 26, 1954 E. M. SMITH ,5

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN DITCH DIGGERS Filed May 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ear/LL M. SMITH Y B Ws%m ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1954 E. M. SMITH 2,692,446

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN DIICH DIGGERS Filed May 9, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 j I m! 0 0 33 0 a In I34 3 174 O 1 B5 O INVENTOR. 3 Z 11/ EsT/LL M SMITH o 0 121 W5.

57 as 172 ATTORNEY E. M. SMITH Oct. 26, 1954 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN DITCH DIGGERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 9 I [I U TI f g,

INVENTOR. EST/LL M. SMITH BY W S W [Ill ATTORNEY E. M. SMITH Oct. 26, 1954 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN DITCH DIGGERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 9, 1949 INVENTOR. EST/LL M. SMITH ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1954 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ENDLESS CHAIN DITCH DIGGERS Estill M. Smith, Dallas, Tex.

Application May 9, 1949, Serial No. 92,160

4 Claims. 1

This invention is concerned with a ditch digger and particularly with the bucket type of ditch digger, which may be detachably mounted to a standard tractor or other vehicle adapted to carry it.

Ditch diggers which have previously been known and used in this art have usually been comprised of a bucket-carrying conveyor mounted on a frame, which frame is pivotally mounted on the vehicle carrying the ditch digger, so that the buckets were maintained in digging position by virtue of the frames swinging about the pivot point by force of gravity, thus allowing the buckets to maintain contact with the ground being dug. As a result, the frame, and the buckets carried thereby, swung in an arc, and the digging mechanism was not maintained in a true vertical position.

Another feature usually found in these old type ditch diggers was a conventional sprocket or pulley provided for rotation of the conveyor mechanism, carrying the buckets, which sprockets were operatively connected to the power takeoff of the machine carrying the ditch digging mechanism by means of a cable or belt, so that when the ditch digger was raised or lowered, it was necessary to raise and lower the driving sprocket and the chain with it, with the consequence that it disturbed the tension of the chain and caused the ditch digger to operate defectively.

These old devices are ordinarily cumbersome and unwieldly.

The present invention is intended to overcome these defects in prior devices and to provide a simple and compact ditch digging machine which ma be detachably mounted to any standard tractor, and may be driven from the rear power take-off of the tractor.

Among the objects to be realized by this invention, in addition to the foregoing, may be found the following:

1. To provide ditch digging mechanism adapted to be detachably mounted on the back of a tractor, driven by the power take-off of the tractor and maintained in true vertical position at all times while it is being lowered during a ditch digging operation.

2. To provide means whereby the driving chain, which drives the drive sprocket and drive chain for the bucket carrying conveyors in a ditch digger, is not displaced and is maintained at the same tension while the bucket carrying conveyor mechanism is being raised and lowered.

3. To provide mechanism and means for allowing the raising and lowering of the bucketcarrying conveyor mechanism in a ditch digger, together with the drive chain or pulley for such mechanism, without moving or disturbing the driving mechanism which rotates the bucketcarrying conveyors.

4. To provide mechanism and means in a ditch digger whereby the power take-off of a tractor, which drives the bucket-carrying conveyors of the ditch digger, is also geared through proper gearing arrangement with the rear wheels of the tractor, or other vehicle carrying the ditch digger, whereby the forward or rearward movement of the tractor may be properly synchronized with the rotation of the bucket-carrying conveyors. This is provided for the reason that the lowest driving gear of a tractor is too fast for the proper speed of rotation of a ditch digger. A ditch digger must necessarily move relatively slow in order to dig the ditch at a proper depth.

5. To provide such a gearing arrangement whereby the driving force for the rear wheels of a tractor is transmitted through a transmission having a clutch associated therewith, whereby the rear wheels of a tractor may be thrown out of gear or the gear ratiocdriving same may be changed, and the rotation of the bucket-carrying conveyors will not be disturbed, and whereby the tractor may be made to move in reverse and not affect the rotation of the ditch digger.

6. To provide ratchet mechanism in connection with the driving mechanism for the rear wheels of the tractor to permit the tractor to turn while digging a ditch and not disturb the rotation of the bucket-carrying conveyors of the ditch digger.

'7. To provide a digging bucket in a ditch digger with a pivotally mounted bottom therein adapted to be automatically pushed inward at the top of its rotation to expel dirt from said bucket.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent by referring to the drawings and the detailed description thereof, which follows hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the attached drawings in which:

Fig. I is a side elevational view of my invention attached to a standard tractor.

Fig. II is a side elevational view of the gear reduction box and auxiliary transmission, with the driving means associated therewith.

Fig. III is a side elevational view taken from the opposite side of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is one of the driving sprockets, with the ratchet associated therewith, which drive the rear wheels of the tractor.

Fig. V is a perspective View, partially cut away, of the lower end of the bucket-carrying conveyors and driving means therefor, showing the winch provided for raising the bucket-carrying conveyor mechanism, and the spirial conveyor which carries dirt to the side of the ditch while the ditch digger is in operation.

F'ig. VI is a fragmentary, partially sectionalized, view of the upper portion of the bucket-carrying conveyor, with the drive chain therefor, and showing one of the buckets and the mounting therefor, in cross section.

Fig. VII is a rear elevational view of the gear box and auxiliary transmission and also showing the drive shaft, with sprockets attached thereto, which drive the rear wheels of the tractor.

Fig. VIII shows a front elevational view of one of the digging buckets with the mounting plate therefor attached thereto.

Fig. IX is a cross sectional elevation of a bucket, showing the bottom side tripping mechanism therefor.

Fig. X is a side elevational view of the spiral conveyor used to convey the dirt to the side of the ditch being dug, with the casing therefor being sectionalized.

Fig. XI is a fragmentary, partially sectionalized, elevational view of the means for detachably mounting the ditch digger to the rear end of a tractor.

Numeral references are used to designate the various parts of the invention illustrated in the drawings, and like numerals are used to designate like parts.

The numeral I designates a standard tractor which is suitable for attachment of the invention thereto. The tractor I has a rear differential housing 2, and a power take-off 3 extending from the rear of such housing. The tractor I also has a rear axle housing 4, which extends laterally from each side of the housing 2.

A mounting frame is positioned on each side of the differential 2, which mounting frame takes the form of an angle member, and provides means for attaching the ditch digging frame to the tractor. The box-shaped member 6, which extends underneath the difierential housing, is attached to the transverse member 5 on each side of such housing by means of a vertical angle bracket member 1. There is also an angle member 8 which extends underneath the differential housing 2 and is securely held to the underside of the housing by means of the machine bolts 9, and is joined to the members 5 on each side of the differential housing 2 by means of the vertical angle members 12.

The U-bolt ll, of which there is one on each side of the differential housing 2, extends around the rear axle housing 4 and is secured to the angle member 5 by means of the nuts [2, which hold the U-bolt to the angle member 5.

All of the above recited construction provides a mounting to which the frame for the ditch digger may be detachably mounted.

A coupling I3 is provided between the mounting brackets 5 and the side frame members I5 for the ditchdigging mechanism. This coupling I3 is made up by the sliding engagement of the angle members 5 and the side frame angle members I5, and the bolts I4 pass through the two members 5 and I5 and securely hold them together.

It is to be understood that the coupling I3 and the member 5 and I 5 are duplicated on each side of the tractor. The horizontally disposed, rearwardly extending, members 15 provide a base frame for the ditch digger and the driving mechanism therefor. One of these angle members l5 extends from the coupling 13 on each side of the ditch digger to the rear thereof, and they are joined at their rear ends by the angle member [6. Attached to the cross member 46 is the shield plate H, which extends up behind the dirt discharge conveyor 69 to a point near the top of the bucket conveyors, and is braced by the angle brace members l8 which are attached near the top thereof, and to the members I5 on each side of the ditch digger.

The shield deflector l1 deflects dirt expelled from the buckets l0! into the dirt expelling conveyor 13.

The frame for the gear reduction housing 23 and the auxiliary transmission housing 35 consists of four upright frame members 19, one of which is positioned at each corner of the frame making up the support for the gear reduction housing and auxiliary transmission housing, and these upright members [9 are joined together and braced by means of the transverse brace members 2!, 22 and 3B, which transverse members are duplicated on each side of the frame for the gear reduction housing and the auxiliary transmission housing. Said frame rests on, and is supported by the base members 98, on each side thereof by means of the bolts and nuts 20 positioned at each corner of the said housing.

lhe members 98 are cut out as indicated at 99, at the point Where they rest on the lateral extensions of the rear differential housing for the tractor, so that the cut-out portion conforms to the shape of the rear differential housing extension, and thus provides a firm mounting for the gear box and. auxiliary transmission mounting frame. ihe base frame members 98 are secured to the rear differential housing 2 by machine bolts (not shown) which pass through the holes 98a and 98b therein and through corresponding threaded holes provided in the sides of the rear differential housing 2.

A gear boxhousing or transmission 23 has appropriate gearing therein for the purpose of reducing the gear ratio between the rear power take-off of the tractor and the drive sprocketsfor the ditch digger mechanism. The gear box or transmission 23 is ordinarily designed to reduce the gear ratio, but it may also be designed to increase the gear ratio or to merely transmit power in the same ratio. This is a conventional gear box and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the interior details thereof. This gear box housing 23 is supported on its frame by means of the circular extensions 24 on either side thereof, which circular extensions are welded, or otherwise suitably attached, to the cross braces 22 on either side of the frame. I

A suitable shaft 39 extends into this housing for the purpose of turning the gears therein.

The shaft 25a extends into the housing 23 and is attached to, and turns, the sprocket 25, which sprocket 25 .in turn drives the chain 26. The chain 26 drives the bucket conveyor mechanism in the manner which will be hereinafter described.

Returning to the initial driving mechanism, the sprocket 2'1 is secured to a drive shaft 2711, extending from the rear power take-off 3 of the tractor, and is-adapted to turn with the said drive shaft when it is rotated. The drive "sprocket 2'! drives the drive chain 28 which extends around it, which drive chain also extends .around the sprocket 29. The sprocket 29 is rigidly attached to the rotatable shaft 30, which shaft extends into the gear reduction housing 23, and thus turns the gears therein and thereby the shaft a and sprocket 25.

i Another sprocket 3! is attached to the shaft 30 and drives the chain 32, which chain in turn extends around the sprocket 33 and drives same. The sprocket 33 is secured to the shaft 34 and rotates it. The shaft 34 extends into the auxiliary transmission 35 and rotates a gear disposed on the inner end thereof (not shown).

' 'The' auxiliary transmission housing 35 is secured to, and supported by, the transverse supporting braces 36, which supporting braces are secured at either end to the upright frame members I9, and are duplicated on each side of the frame for the gear box and auxiliary transmission. The auxiliary transmission is further held and supported to the frame therefor by means of the brackets 4! at the top, which are duplicated on each side of the frame; and said auxiliary transmission is further secured to the frame thereof by means of the lower brackets Me, which brackets are duplicated on each side of the frame.

The axle 31 extends from the auxiliary transmission housing on one side thereof, and the gear 38 is attached thereto and adapted to rotate therewith. The gear 38 and the chain 39, drive the sprocket 41, which sprocket 41 is attached to the shaft and rotates it.

A suitable gear shift 40 is provided for the 1 chronized with the speed of rotation of the ditch digger. The slowest forward gear, and the reverse gear of a standard tractor is too fast for the proper speed of rotation of a ditch digger.

A ditch digger ordinarily has to rotate relatively slow, and should not be moved forward or in reverse very fast, in order to dig a ditch to proper depth. Thus, this auxiliary transmission is provided so that the forward or rearward movement of the tractor may be slowed down through proper gear reduction ratios, and so that the forward or rearward movement may be regulated, and also so that the tractor may be entirely stopped.

The clutch and gear shift mechanism in the auxiliary transmission are conventional in construction, and it is not believed necessary to illustrate them in detail.

The transverse supporting members 42 on the top side of the frame for the gear reduction box 23 and auxiliary transmission 35 are cut out on the upper sides thereof to provide a mounting and support for the cylindrical bearing casing 44 for the driving axle 45. The outer ends of the cylindrical casing 44 are further supported by the angle braces 43 which are attached at their lower ends to the frame members l9 and are attached at their upper ends to the transverse supporting brace 43a.

The shaft 45 is rotatably mounted in the easing 44, and the sprocket 41 is secured to the shaft 45 and rotates same. The casing 44 provrides an oil bearing for the rotation of the shaft 45.

On the outer extremities of the shaft 45 are provided the sprockets 52. The sprockets 52 are of special design and construction, the detail of one of which is shown in Fig. IV. As shown, the sprocket 52 has a series of ratchet teeth on the outer face thereof, and is rotatably supported on the shaft 45, so that it loosely slides on the said shaft. I

.The pin 54, having a winged outer end 54 a, slidably passes through the shaft 45 and is secured therein by means of a winged set screw 52a, passing through the end of the shaft 45. The pin 54 protrudes from the shaft on each side thereof and engages the teeth 53 on opposite sides of the shaft 45. The pin 54 thus serves as a pawl for the ratchet-like teeth '53. The winged outer end 54a. is conformable to the contour of the shaft 45.

A spring '55 is disposed around the shaft 45 and the inner end thereof is secured to the shaft 45 by means of a bolt passing through the shaf and a nut 56 positioned thereon.

This ratchet gear and spring arrangement is provided in order to compensate for the difference in speed of rotation of the rear wheels of the tractor when the tractor is caused to turn. When turning, the outside rear wheel of the tractor turns faster than the inside wheel. The sprockets 52 drive the sprockets l3! positioned on the outer side of the rear wheels of the tractor through the drive chain I33; and when the tractor is turned, as aforesaid, the outer wheel turns faster than the inner wheel, and the shaft 45 is allowed to be turned faster than the sprocket 52 driving the inner wheel, because the ends of the pin 54 may rotate with the shaft '45 and slide over the teeth 53 by pushing the sprocket 52 inward against the spring tension exerted by spring 55. When the tractor is again turned on a straight course and the rear wheels of the tractor are permitted to turn at the same speed, the shaft 45 and the sprockets 52 will again turn together. Thus, the tractor may be turned in either direction without it becoming necessary to vary the speed of rotation of the bucket-carrying conveyors of the ditch digger.

Should it be desired to disengage the sprocket 52 from the shaft 45,-this may be done by pushing the sprocket 52 inward against the spring 55, loosening the set screw 52a, and pushing the pin 54 downward, so that the wing 54a will ride on the shaft 45, and hold the pin out of engagement with the teeth 53.

The sprockets 52 may also be used for rear- Ward movement of the tractor by interchanging them on the shaft 45.

The drive chain 26, which is driven by the drive sprocket 24 attached to the rotating shaft 25a leading from the gear reduction box 23, passes around and drives, the driven sprocket 50 which is afiixed to the axle 5|. The axle 6| passes through the oil bearing casing 62, which oil bearing casing is mounted on and supported by the bracket 53, which bracket in turn is mounted on the two cross braces 64 and 64a carried by the base members H: on either side of the frame for the ditch digging mechanism. The shaft 5! passes through the oil bearing 62 and has a sprocket attached to its inner end,

the function and operation of which sprocket will be described later.

The sprocket 86 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 6| and drives the chain 8'! when the shaft 6| is rotated. The chain 51 passes'around the sprocket 68 and rotates it, driving the conveyor 69.

The conveyor 69 is of the spiral type and is provided to collect the dirt picked up by the digging buckets which will be hereinafter described, and convey the dirt to the side of the ditch being dug. The conveyor 89 has a shaft I0, which shaft has a bearing II supporting it at one end, and a bearing 16 supporting it at the other end. The bearing 'II is supported by the bracket 18 which is secured to the frame for the ditch digger and the bearing 76 is supported by the bracket-TI, likewise secured to the frame for the ditch digger.

The conveyor 69 is mounted in a trough or housing 13. A cylindrical extension 15 is provided on the housing 13 at the side thereof for the purpose of causing the dirt to be conveyed out to the side of the ditch which is being dug.

Sprocket 80 drives the chain 8|, which chain extends around the sprocket 82 at the top of the bucket conveyor mechanism, and thus turns the said sprocket 82. The sprocket 82 is secured to the shaft or axle 83 and rotates it. On each end of the axle 83 is secured a conveyor sprocket 84 (only one of which is shown).

In Fig. V, the bucket conveyor sprockets 85 and 86 are aflixed to the outer ends of the shaft 90, which shaft 90 corresponds to shaft 83 at the upper end of the bucket conveyor. The tubular members 81 and 88 are vertically disposed and are connected at their outer ends by means of a connecting member 89 by being welded or otherwise rigidly attached thereto. The members 81 and 88 are shown as tubular, but they may be solid rods and may be of any desired cross-sectional shape. The shaft 80 connects the sprockets 85 and 86, as mentioned above, and intermediate the sprockets 85 and 86, the shaft 90 passes through an extension 9I on the bottom side of the connector member 89. This forms a bearing for the shaft 90. A bearing I32 is formed for the shaft 83 at the top of the bucket conveyor mechanism. As shown in Fig. VI the bearing member I32 is held to a supporting plate I33 by means of the cap screws 92, which extend through the plate I32 and are threaded into the connector member I34, which connector member connects, and spaces apart, the tubular members 81 and 88. The spacer nuts I35 are threaded on the cap screws 92 and space the member I34 from the plate I33.

The tubular members 8! and 88 slide through the sleeves 96, which sleeves are rigidly mounted on the frame for the ditch digger by means of the mounting bracket :91 extending between the transverse frame members 64 and 64a. Thus it may be seen that the tubes 81 and 88 are free to slide up and down through the sleeves 96 carrying with them the sprockets 85 and 86 and the corresponding pair of sprockets 84 at the top thereof.

The drive chain 8| passes over the top of the roller 93, which roller is rotatably mounted on a bracket 94. Bracket 94 is secured to the mounting bracket 63, which in turn is secured to the main frame for the bucket carrying mechanism. The chain 8| also passes under and around the roller 95 which roller is rotatably mounted on the bracket 96. Bracket 96 is se- 8 cured to the connector piece 89. It should be observed that the roller is mounted on: a different frame from the roller 93, so that roller 95 is free to move up and down when the tubes 81 and 08 are moved up and down, and the roller 93 remains stationary during such up and down movement. 1

One conveyor chain I00 passes around, and is driven by, one sprocket 84 and sprocket 85, and another conveyor chain I00 passes around,-and is driven by, the conveyor sprocket 86 and one of the conveyor sprockets 84.

Digging buckets IOI, of which there are a, p1urality, are each secured to a plate I03. The plate I 03 is attached to oppositely disposed links'l02 of the chain I09 by means of bolts and nuts I04. The bolts I04 pass through the backside of the bucket IOI andthus secure it to the plate I03 and to the links I02. The bucket IOI has a back wall I05 and a bottom wall I01.

The bottom wall I0? is pivotally connected :to the back wall I05 in any suitable fashion. As shown, a hinge is formed between the two balls by forming coinciding scrolls I68 on the edge of the two walls and passing a pin I08 through them. The bottom wall is thus adapted to rotate inwardly about the pin I08.

The bucket also has an outer wall I09 and the sidewalls I09a.

A tripping pin II 0 is welded or otherwise securely attached to the bottom wall I01. As shown in Figs. VI and IX, the pin is in the shape of an L, the shorter leg of which is welded to the bottom wall I01. The longer leg extends outwardly beyond the back wall I05 of the bucket IOI. The inner end of the tripping pin I I0 is secured to about the middle of the bottom wall I01 of the bucket, and the outer end thereof protrudes through the s ot II9, which slot is cut into the lower edge of the plate I03. Y

A spring III is extended behind the plate I03 between the upper side of said plate I 03 and the outer end of the tripping pin I I 0. The spring is secured to the plate I03 by the hook I I2, formed on the end thereof, and is secured to the tripping pin IIO by means of the hook II3 hooked thereabout. The tripping roller H5 is rotatably mounted on the housing II! for the driven gear 82, and between the upper conveyor sprockets 04, by means of the mounting brackets II6, whic brackets are secured to the housing I I I. g

Each of the buckets IOI has a plurality of cutting blades II4 thereon, which dig into the ground when they come into contact with it. These blades are secured to the sidewalls of the bucket and extend outwardly therefrom.

As the conveyor chains I00, carrying the buckets I0 I, are rotated, the buckets will be filled with dirt as they come into contact with the ground in which a ditch is being dug, and will be conveyed around and up to the top of the conveyor mechanism. As the bucket passes over the top of the conveyor, the outer end of the tripping pin IIO will come in contact with the roller I I5 and cause the pin to be pulled backward, which will stretch the spring III and push the inner end. of the tripping pin IIO inward, thus pushing the pivoted bottom wall I01 of the bucket IOI inward. In this manner the dirt in the bucket I M, when the bucket is tripped, is rapidly expelled from the bucket and the dirt hits the deflector plate I1 and is deposited in the conveyor trough I3, and conveyed to the side of the ditch.

The action of the tripping pin I I is clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. IX.

A winch arrangement is provided for the purpose of raising or lowering the bucket conveyor mechanism described above. This winch is designated as I20 in the drawing and is illustrated in Fig. V. It is supported by a mounting bracket I2I which is secured to one of the side frame members I5. The driven gear I22 is rotatably supported in the housing I28, which gear articulateswith the worm gear I24 and is driven thereby upon rotation of the worm gear by turning the shaft I23, attached thereto. The shaft I23 extends to the outer side of the frame for the bucket conveyor mechanism and has a cross handle I28 thereon, provided for the purpose of turning the shaft I23.

The cable I25 is wound about the drum I25a positioned below the gear I22. The cable I25 extends over a pulley (not shown) which pulley is attached to the transverse frame 64a. This pulley is provided for the purpose of aligning the cable with the eye bracket I26, which bracket is welded or otherwise suitably attached to the cross connector piece 89. The end of the cable I25 is passed through the eye I26 and is secured therein by means of the U-bolt I21 extended therearound. Although the winch I20 is shown to be hand operated, it could, of course, be adapted to be operated by power from the tractor.

It may be seen that when the handle I23 is turned clockwise, thus turning the gear I22 and the drum I25a attached thereto, the cable I25 will be wound about the drum and will thus pull upward on the cable I25. The tubular members 81 and 88 will be caused to slide upward through the sleeves 96, carrying with them the entire bucket conveyor mechanism, including the two upper sprockets 84, the two lower sprockets 85 and 86, the chains I00, extending therearound, together with the buckets mounted thereon. When the bucket conveyor mechanism is thus raised, the driving chains 26 and BI'and their associated sprockets 66 and 60 and the shaft 6| are not disturbed in their horizontal or vertical alignment.

In other words, the bucket carrying conveyors and their associated mechanism may be moved upwardly and downwardly without disturbing the driving mechanism for them. Neither is the tension of the drive chain BI disturbed in any way by moving the tubular members 81 and 88 up and down.

The bucket conveyor mechanism is maintained at true vertical position at all times while the ditch .digger is digging a ditch. It is not necessary to tilt it.

My ditch digger may thus be used to dig a straight hole in the ground by disengaging the clutchvv in the auxiliary transmission and stopping the forward movement of the tractor.

'One may also be enabled to dig a ditch to the desired depth up to, and immediately adjacent to, a pipe line or other obstruction in the ground, then by raising the ditch digger to go-over the obstruction may then continue the digging of a ditch to the desired depth on the other side of the obstruction immediately adjacent thereto. This may be done by allowing the tractor carrying the ditch digger to stand still and dig the ditch to the desired depth and then throwing the auxiliary transmission for the tractor in gear and starting it in its forward motion. The ditch on each side of the obstruction will have a true vertical and to the bottom thereof.

In the old type ditch diggers described above, it was not possible to dig a straight hole, due to the fact that the digger mechanism was pivotally mounted to the back of the vehicle carrying it, and as the digger was lowered vertically, it was also varied from the vertical by being swung around the pivot point. Neither was it possible to begin or end a ditch with a true vertical end, with the old type equipment.

Of course, the bucket conveyor mechanism can be made of any width and the buckets thereon may be varied in width so that the trench dug by it may be varied in width.

The operation and function of my invention may be described as follows:

After it is suitably mounted to the tractor in the manner hereinbefore described, the rear power take-off of the tractor, through which this unit is driven, is thrown into gear which starts the rotation of the pulley 21 which in turn rotates the pulleys 29 and 3| attached to the shaft 38, protruding from the gear box 23.

The gear box 28 is for the purpose of reduction of the gear ratio between the power takeoff of the tractor and the sprocket 25, which is driven through the gear reduction box 23. The chain 26 is thus driven by the sprocket 25 and therethrough the sprockets 60 and 66 are rotated. The sprocket 88 is attached to the shaft BI and causes the said shaft to rotate, thus driving the sprocket 68 through the drive chain 67, and the sprocket 88 through the shaft 6 I.

The sprocket 68 is attached to the shaft III for the conveyor 69 and thus rotates it.

The sprocket 80, through the chain 8|, drives the sprocket 82 and causes the rotation of the bucket conveyor sprockets 84 positioned on each side of the shaft 83, and sprockets 84 through the conveyor chains I00 drive the sprockets 85 and 86 at the lower end of the bucket conveyor mechanism.

When the buckets IIJI are caused to rotate with the chains I88, the blades II4 come in contact with the ground at the lower end of the bucket conveyor mechanism and dig into the ground and the buckets IIJI are filled with dirt. They are rotated upward and over the top of the bucket conveyor mechanism and after passing the top point the outer end of the tripping pin IIU thereon strikes the roller H5 and pushes the bottom door I87 inward and expels the dirt therefrom against the deflector plate I! and the dirt is thereby deposited in the conveyor housing I3, and conveyed out to the side of the ditch being dug.

After the tripping pin III) passes the roller H5, the bottom door of the conveyor bucket will be closed by force of the relaxation of the spring III.

At the same time that the above is occurring, the sprocket 3! drives the sprocket 33 through the chain 32 and rotates the shaft 34 which shaft enters the auxiliary transmission 35, and has a suitable gear on the inner end thereof. The auxiliary transmission 35 is provided with a conventional clutch mechanism for engaging, disengaging and changing the gears therein, and is also provided with gearing mechanism to provide three different forward speeds and a reverse movement. This gearing mechanism is conventional.

When the clutch controlling the auxiliary transmission is engaged, the shaft 3 leading from the auxiliary transmission will be rotated and, will in turn rotate the sprocket 38 attached thereto, driving the chain 39 and therethrough the sprocket 41. The sprocket 41 is attached to the shaft 45 and rotates it, thus rotating the gears 52 in the manner hereinbefore described. This in turn drives the chains I30 which drive the sprockets 13! attached to the hubs for the rear wheels of the tractor. Thereby the tractor is moved.

The ditch digging mechanism may thus. be rotated independently of the movement of the tractor. That is, the tractor may be thrown out of gear by disengaging the clutch for the auxiliary transmission and at the same time the ditch digger buckets may continue to rotate.

The ditch digger and the tractor are driven off of the same power take-off of the tractor, and the forward and rearward speed of the tractor is thus coordinated with the rotation of the ditch digger. This is advantageous, because when digging in soft ground the ditch digger will dig faster, and thus the tractor should move forward faster; and when digging in hard ground the tractor may be stopped or slowed down by the clutch mechanism in the auxiliary transmission,

to conform to the necessarily slower rotation of removed, if desired.

When it is desired to raise the ditch digger, the handle I28 may be turned clockwise, thus rotating the shaft [.23 which turns the worm gear I24 and drives the gear I22, thus winding the cable E25 around the drum lied. The tubular members. 81- and 88 are thus pushed upward through the sleeves 96. The chain 8! will move upward with the bucket conveyor mechanism carried by the rods 81 and 88 and the tension.

thereof will not be disturbed. The. bucket con-- veyor mechanism may be lowered to digging position, and lowered while digging, by turning the shaft 123 in a counterclockwise direction.

It is to be understood that only a preferred embodiment of this invention is disclosed herein, and other and further changes and modifications may be. made therein and still remain within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In a ditch digger for attachment to a tractor, a substantially vertical rigid frame member arranged for attachment to the rear differential housing of a tractor; power transmission means carried by said frame and arranged to be driven from the rear power take-off of said tractor; another power transmission carried by said frame and arranged to be. driven from the rear power take-01f of said tractor; driving means driven through said second named transmission for driving the rear wheels of said tractor; a. rearwardly extending frame member arranged for at tachment. to the rear end of said tractor; a substantially vertically disposed conveyor frame member carried by said rearwardly extending frame member, and being slidably disposed vertically with relation to said rearwardly extending frame member, and, adapted to be raised and lowered; a pair of sprockets journaled, at the upper end of said conveyor frame; a pair of sprockets journaled at the lower end of saidconveyor frame; a pair of spaced conveyor chains arranged between the upper and lower sprockets; a plurality of digging buckets attached to the outer sides of said conveyor chains; and driving means between the said first named transmission and the said sprockets,v for rotating same.

2. In a ditch digger, a rigid frame arranged. for attachment to the rear differential housing of a tractor; power transmission means carried. by said frame and arranged to bedriven from the rear power take-off of the tractor; a separate auxiliary transmission carried by said frame and arranged to drive the rear wheels of said tractor, and to be driven from the rear power take-off of the tractor; a rearwardly extending frame member attached tosaid tractor; a substantially vertically disposed digging bucket conveyor frame slidably disposed upwardly and downwardly in relation to said rearwardly extending frame member; a pair. of sprockets journaled at the upper end of said conveyor frame; a pair of sprockets. journaled at the lower end of said conveyor frame; a pair of chains. arranged between the upper and lower sprockets; a plurality of digging, buckets carried by the outer sides of said chains; means between the said. power transmission means and the said sprockets for rotating the said sprockets; means. for raising and lowering said. bucket conveyor mechanism without displacing the driving means; be-

tween said power transmission means and said sprockets.

3. In a ditch digger adapted to be mountedon a tractor having a rear power take-off, a. difierential housing and a rear axlehousing; an upright frame member attached to the said rear differential housing; power transmission. means carried by said frame member; a separatev auxiliary transmission carried by said frame. meme ber; driving means for. driving the said transmissions from the rear power take-off of. said tractor; driving means between. said: auxiliary transmission and the rear wheels of said tractor and adapted to drive said tractor forward and rearward; a second frame member attached. to said rear differential and rear axle housing; an upright digging bucket conveyor frame carried. by said second named frame: member, and movable upwardly and downwardly with relation thereto; a pair of sprockets journaled; at the. upper end of said conveyor frame; a. pair of sprockets journaled at. the lower end of said corrveyor frame; a pair of chains extending about. said upper and lower sprockets; a plurality of digging buckets carried by the outer sidespof said; chains; means carried by the second frame member for raising and lowering the. said upright bucket conveyor frame member; driving means between said first named power transmission means and. the said sprockets; a spiral conveyor carried by the second frame member and. arranged adjacent to said conveyor frame and. adapted to receive dirt expelled from the buckets and to convey it tov the side of the: ditch being dug; and driving means between thesaid. first. named power transmission means and. thesaid conveyor for rotating same.

4. Ina ditch digger adapted to be attached to a tractor having a rear power take-off, a differential housing, a rear; axle housing. and. rear:

wheels, a, frame carried; by said differentialxhousiing; power transmission means carried by: saidframe; another power transmissioncarried; by

said frame; driving means between the said rear power take-off and the transmissions; driving means between one of the transmission and the rear wheels of said tractor; a rearwardly extending frame member supported by said rear differential housing and axle housing; an upright conveyor frame slidably carried by said rear- Wardly extending frame member; a pair of spaced sprockets journaled at the upper end of said conveyor frame; a pair of spaced sprockets journaled at the lower end of said conveyor frame; a pair of chains extending between said upper and lower sprockets; a plurality of digging buckets attached to the outer sides of said chains; driving means between one of the transmissions and the sprockets; and means for raising and lowering said conveyor frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 556,513 Nettelbeck Mar. 17, 1896 Number 14 Name Date Helm Oct. 31, 1905 Poulson July 3, 1906 Helm Apr. 2, 1907 Sommers Jan. 30, 1912 Lyback Sept. 17, 1912 Odell Jan. 26, 1915 Archer Oct. 17, 1916 McEwen Jan. 7, 1919 Ursino Apr. 28, 1925 Van Voorhis et a1. Aug. 25, 1936 Penote Feb. 2, 1937 Osborn Dec. 17, 1940 Tiffany Mar. 3, 1942 Wilson Nov. 23, 1943 Carter Sept. 11, 1945 Schmidt Aug. 15, 1950 Schmidt Aug. 15, 1950 

